“I can walk.”

“Not on those feet you’re not.” Bending down, he picked her up.

Casey knew it was fruitless trying to fight and lay stiffly against his chest while Max carried her to the first floor apartment, juggling her as he took the key out of his pocket and opened the door. Inside, he gently placed her on a bright blue chair before lifting her feet to the unsteady coffee table.

“I’ll be right back.” Max left her sitting alone in the living room.

Casey stared at the tacky room filled with bright colors and knick knacks that sat around the room. It smelled heavily of old cigarette smoke, and there were a couple of empty beer bottles sitting on the table next to her feet.

Max came back, carrying a chair from the kitchen and a few other supplies he dropped on the coffee table.

“Hold this on your face.” Max gently placed a bag of frozen peas on her cheek. “It will help with the swelling.”

Placing the chair in front of her he sat down and then lifted her feet to his lap. She tried to jerk them back, but his large hands around her ankles held them motionless.

“Be still while I clean them for you.”

“I can do it,” Casey protested.

“You have a problem with me helping out?” His green eyes stared into hers, challenging her.

“I guess not,” Casey acquiesced, leaning back against the chair and tugging her robe around her tighter, while clumsily keeping the frozen peas pressed against her face.

“Don’t worry, I’m not into kids,” he said, gently rubbing a damp cloth against the bottom of her feet.

Casey straightened in her chair. “I’m not a kid. I turn eighteen next month.” When his eyes flashed upward, she realized how her words could be misconstrued. “I meant, I’m not a young child.”

She felt him studying her brownish-blond hair and flushed cheeks before his eyes glided downward over her small breasts outlined under the thin robe. Her legs were slim and smooth, resting on his muscular thighs.

“No, you’re not.”

Casey didn’t miss the husky tone that had entered his voice as he went back to cleaning her feet. He took another towel to dry them then shook a can of antiseptic and sprayed the cuts. When she hissed at the stinging sensation, her hands clenching on the arms of the chair, his hands rubbed the back of her heels, soothing the pain.

“Okay?”

“Yes.”

The considerate behavior he was showing toward her surprised her coming from him. He was easily the largest and roughest looking of the Predators. Ginger was constantly telling Renee about the wild streak that kept Max elusive from the women who had his children and the ones who sought to tame the roving biker.

He wrapped gauze around each of her feet before placing them back on the table.

“Has that happened before?”

“I’m not in the habit of running on gravel barefoot,” Casey answered sharply, feeling as if he thought she had overreacted by running barefoot from the house.

“I was asking if any of your mom’s boyfriends tried to rape you before.”

“No, my brother Cole only graduated last year.” Casey kept her face expressionless. “I’m usually smarter than to give them an opportunity to sneak up on me. I went to the bathroom, and he must have hidden in my bedroom then.”

“Or when you were watching me fuck Ginger.” Max’s lips twitched when he saw her mortified gaze.

“I wasn’t watching. I needed my books to study. I left when I saw—” She broke off, too embarrassed to continue.

“I thought you were almost eighteen,” he mocked. “Living with Renee, I’m sure that wasn’t the worst thing you’ve ever seen.”

A pained expression unknowingly crossed her face. “You’re right about that.”

“Sorry, I was being a jackass.”

Casey gave him a wry smile. “Don’t worry about it. I’m used to dealing with those, too.” She shivered at remembering Brock’s face as he pushed her into the bed. Surprisingly, she felt comfortable alone with Max in Ginger’s apartment.

“Is your boyfriend one?”

“I don’t have a boyfriend. You want to know the messed up part about Brock? He was almost my first kiss. Stupid, huh?”

“I’m not a chick, so I guess it sounds ridiculous for that to upset you when he almost raped you.” He shifted uncomfortably on his feet. “Unless?”

Hastily, she shook her head. “No, I’ve never had…” She cleared her throat. “It’s just that’s what some men do, steal kisses. Isn’t it? Do you remember the first girl you kissed? What if it was someone like Renee?”

Max’s face filled with horror.

“Yeah, see what I mean? She tries to kiss you all the time, but you avoid her. What if the next time I’m not so lucky? What if someone worse than Brock manages to kiss me?” Casey forced her eyes to his.

His expression turned ruthless. “What are you getting at?”

Casey stood, looking up into his ruggedly handsome face. “Would you kiss me?”

He took a hasty step back. “Fuck, no. You’re jailbait. I have enough trouble keeping my ass out of jail.”

She gave a bitter laugh. “Who do you think would care enough to press charges? Renee?”

“This isn’t you talking. You’re fucked up right now because of what almost happened.”

“Yes and I feel myself becoming afraid of men. I don’t want to be scared of them for the rest of my life just because of Brock.” Casey brushed her angry tears of humiliation away. “For once in my life, I want to control one important thing in my life.”

“Quit crying. I’m not—”

Casey pressed herself against Max, winding her arms around his waist. “Please, Max. Just one kiss and I will leave you alone. We’ll pretend it never happened,” she pled.

Max stared down at her.

Casey stood on her toes. “Please, Max ... please.”

He groaned, lowering his head until his lips barely touched hers.

“Part your lips. If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it right.”

Casey licked her bottom lip, parting her mouth. She didn’t have time to withdraw the tip of her tongue before Max’s mouth was on hers.

She grabbed fistfuls of his T-Shirt as his tongue slid alongside hers. An unknown rush of heat was felt in her stomach when his hands circled her waist, lifting her higher as his tongue gently explored her mouth. Her first kiss was everything she had dreamed of. It was exciting, sensual, and sexy, softly guiding her into the delicate art of discovering the first taste of pleasure that Brock would have stolen forever from her.

Casey couldn’t believe she had worked up the courage to beg Max to kiss her, much less the unexpected pleasure she received from a man who smelled of beer and the perfume of another woman.

“What the hell!”

Casey found herself dumped unceremoniously back on her feet. Wincing at the pain, she managed to keep her balance. Ginger stared at them angrily while Casey stared back, guiltily aware it was her purse, books, and clothes Ginger was holding in her arms.

“Ginger, it was nothing. Poor kid’s never had a kiss … just doing her a favor. She don’t exactly have a line waiting.”